Dark Side of The Moon
by swagosaurus
Summary: At the climax of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Madara and Obito's Moon's Eye Plan finally comes to fruition. But, in an act of sacrifice, Naruto prevents the world from falling victim to the Infinite Tsukuyomi...at a terrible price. He awakes, filled with grief, in a world where everything and everyone is different. With no escape, how will he cope with his new reality? NaruAUSaku
1. Infinite Tsukuyomi

A/N: I know, I know.

I already made a story like this earlier (and deleted it), because it was just plain _bad_. Not that this will be any better, but I'm going to try.

Much like my other story Chaos, the updates for this bad boy will be sort of spontaneous and random as I finish up PIL. I'm going to take a little hiatus on PIL, to anyone who reads that; the next chapter needs to be fucking _perfect_, and I don't want to rush it out.

Basically; this is a story about the universe the newest movie is set in (road to ninja). I'm going to make it that Naruto was never trapped in the IT before, so he has no idea what to expect.

Enjoy!

* * *

_**Dark Side of The Moon: Chapter 1 - Infinite Tsukuyomi**_

* * *

_There's no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark._

* * *

"GUUUUUUHH!"

A blonde haired teenager shot up, gasping for air. He was littered in cuts and bruises, and a multitude of blood spatters tainted his orange and black jumpsuit.

He immediately winced in pain when he tried to move his right arm; it was broken, almost completely shattered. It would be useless for weeks, possibly even months.

His cerulean eyes opened, and he took in his surroundings with confusion. He was in a wide meadow, framed and surrounded by a thicket of trees and brush. Green. Deeply green.

He couldn't remember how he got in the clearing, or why he was covered in battle wounds. Or anything, to be exact.

He thought deeply, ignoring the protest of his aching body as he stood up. _My name...what's my name...?_

_"Naruto..."_

And just like that, everything flooded back into his mind; he was a genin of Konoha. Holder of the Kyuubi. Member of Team 7. Friend of Sasuke and Sakura, pupil of Kakashi and Jiraiya.

He remembered the last moment before he, somehow, ended up in the middle of a forest; he was fighting in a war.

_The _war.

The Fourth Shinobi World War.

Panic settled in, and his head snapped around the clearing. The Jubi had been revived; the plan that Madara and Obito Uchiha concocted had been set in stone.

Where was the Alliance?

He attempted to enter his mindscape, to get some answers from his Bijuu, but for one reason or another, he couldn't access the seal. Given his new friendship with the Kyuubi...it troubled him greatly that he was blocked from conversation.

Naruto didn't recognize where he was; it was nowhere he had ever seen before, but then again, the forests of the Shinobi world were mostly vast and unchartered. Looking up at the sky, he noted it was around early morning from the position of the sun; roughly nine o'clock.

_Where do I go? Where is everyone? How did I get here? What happened to the Jubi?_

Endless questions filled his mind, but he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

He never thought he would have to do it again, but he recalled his survival training that he had taken in the Academy; when in unknown, possibly hostile territory, always follow your gut instinct. Follow the wind.

Using his good arm, he licked his finger and raised it into the air to test the breeze; it was blowing in a north-western direction, so he decided to go with that until he found civilization.

He stumbled out of the clearing, and set off on a medium pace towards..wherever the hell he was going.

The last thing he truly remembered was the resurrected Hokages arriving onto the scene...with Sasuke.

He had confronted his father, met the First, and in some strange, messed up way, ended up allying with Orochimaru and Sasuke to take down Obito and Madara.

But what happened? Those last moments were blurry as they were, and he had no clue if the battle had ended or not.

A terrible thought came to mind. Obito's plan, the Moon's Eye. Did it come to fruition?

He used what little genjutsu ability he had to scan his body and his surroundings, and frowned when he felt nothing. The Tsukoyomi, one of the most powerful genjutsu in the world, was, in theory, a perfect illusion. It made you feel, taste, smell, see and hear things.

But one of the first things his late sensei had taught him was how to dispel illusionary techniques; specifically, the Tsukoyomi.

Naruto had to stop running as the exhaustion from his previous escapades took hold of his body. He had ran for a little over an hour, but even with his endless stamina, he had a breaking point. Particularly when he had spent the last 48 hours battling one of the world's greatest villains.

He had limped over to a stream, and dropped to his knees.

Running a hand through his sweaty hair, he stared at his flickering, morphing reflection in the crystal depths. His face was dirty and covered in blood, so he dipped his hands into the current and splashed the cool water across him.

A flash of memory hit him, and he froze his actions. He could hear it; the screams, the ungodly sounds of the world-destroyer.

What the hell had happened?

His head shot up in shock. When Sasuke and his troupe had arrived, something had changed in the air. Despite the shock of the last Uchiha and his band of criminals arriving on the battlefield, _on the Alliance's side, no less_, the air had been still. Deathly quiet, aside from the few murmurs of the soldiers.

The Jubi had been ever-still. Naruto remembered seeing wide, disturbed grins spread across Obito and Madara's faces. They Alliance had trapped the beast, temporarily disconnected them from it, and had been winning. With Sasuke on their side, it would have been a simple victory.

But then it all changed. The moon had turned blood red, the sky pitch black. The ground hazed and shook, and within mere moments, chaos ensued.

The beast had revived in it's true form; the tsunami creator, mountain destroyer, forest incinerator. It was a pristine monstrosity unlike any had ever seen before. It was so beautiful and so ugly at the same time, so evil yet so righteous.

It broke free from it's makeshift concrete prison, and led by Obito and Madara, it laid waste to the Alliance Forces.

Beams of pure energy vaporized Suna-nin, rocky earthquakes swallowed the soldiers of Kiri. Neji's death had been a tragedy, but this had been a goddamned _genocide_.

In no less than 15 minutes, the majority of the 50,000 man force was gone. The stench of sulfur, flesh and blood had sullied the air, and few remained. The most powerful ninja the Shinobi world had to offer had been whittled down into a small group of injured soldiers.

Team 7 had stood together once more, but oddly enough, the two Uchiha had stopped the beast. The air was frozen again.

That was until the moon began to swirl as the Jubi stared at it with it's horrible eye, while simultaneously launching an onslaught of attacks at the few remaining men and women.

They knew what was happening. The Moon's Eye plan was in effect. The world's end was at hand.

That was all he remembered.

Did they succeed? Was this the product of power, so immense and devastating that it made mere illusions into reality?

Naruto wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

He slapped his hands together, ignoring the pain in his broken arm, and drew as much chakra as he could in an effort to access his seal.

His shattered bone burned in pain, and small beads of liquid trickled out of his eyes in agony, but he needed to know.

Finally, as if something had been pushed out of the way, removing the blockage, Naruto was sucked into his mindscape.

* * *

He arrived in the usual sewer, and ran down the hall as fast as he could. His feet sloshed in the shallow liquid that filled the area, and the sounds echoed throughout the walkways.

He veered a hard right, and arrived at his destination; the Kyuubi's cage.

He almost wished he hadn't.

The fox was there, all right. But just barely.

The orange, fluffy fur of the chakra beast was completely gone. It's now-bare skin bubbled with tainted, raw, and acidic chakra.

"Kurama!" Naruto yelled, his voice hoarse from disuse. He rushed over to his new friend, but a single, clawed, decayed finger rose.

"_Don't come any closer, b-brat..._" The Bijuu wheezed out, and Naruto complied.

"What happened to you...?" He asked, worry in his voice. Never had he seen the demon fox so..._unhealthy_.

"_You mean...you don't remember?_" The fox's vessel shook his head, and his blue eyes shimmered in worry.

"_We did it, Naruto. We..saved the world. But at a terrible price._"

"What price? How did we pull it off? Tell me!"

"_The Shiki Fujin. You...and your father both pulled the Jutsu off. I don't know how Minato did it in the Edo-tensei form, but you both somehow combined your handseals and summoned the Shinigami._"

He had used the Shiki Fujin? None of it clicked in Naruto's head. He remembered reuniting with his father, and the other Hokage's; they had all met him, and he got along with the First greatly. The Second, though, after learning he was a Jinchuuriki, had strayed away from him in fear.

Sure, he had learned the Forbidden Jutsu, but never would he use it. Not until he had no hope remaining. Which was impossible...right? He would always have hope.

"_I told both of you...that it wouldn't work, but you two were always so god-damned stubborn. So...I helped. Three souls for the World's creator. The ultimate sacrifice. But...not even the shinigami could face it. It worked with us, you know; it saw how dire the circumstances were, and helped us bend the laws of nature and the universe to end the damn Uchiha's plan...but we couldn't rip a soul from something that doesn't have one. So we had to try the back-up plan._"

Naruto was still reeling from the information. The shinigami, the death god, had worked with them? Willingly, no less? "Wait...back-up plan?"

"_The reason...why I'm like this, Naruto...is because I'm dying._"

"What?! You're dying?! You can't die!" The blonde screamed, running over as fast as he could. But a gust of wind hit him, causing him to fly back from the bijuu.

"_No! You must listen, Naruto. We saved the world...but at the cost of us._"

"...So...we're...both going to die? Where are we, anyways? What's going to happen? Where is everyone?"

"_Somewhere, far away from home, kid. You won't die...I made sure of it. I used every bit of my power to keep your soul from leaving, but I overexerted myself and went overboard. Too overboard. I don't have enough chakra to replenish my life-force. What we did...was unspeakable. Impossible. But it worked._"

"What did we do? Damnit, Kurama, I want answers!"

"_The previous Hokage's helped to distract and bind the beast. I gave your Uchiha friend, and the rest of your team, as much chakra as I could allow. But you and I...we were the main part of the plan. We cancelled out the moon._"

"Cancelled...out the moon? You're not making sense." Naruto said, the frown never leaving his face.

"_We created a barrier; too large to even describe. Using your shadow clones, and gathering the power and lifeforce from every able person there, we set up barriers all around the world. Minato had applied the Hiraishin to us. We blocked the moon from every populace, every man, woman and child. And...we consumed the Infinite Tsukuyomi ourselves, with the combined power of us and Kakashi's Kamui._"

Naruto was about to say something so grand, so ridiculous wasn't true, but the fox had never proclaimed anything of the sort before. "You're not kidding...so...we're in the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"

"_I don't know where...we are, kit. We could be in another dimension, another world; or we could just be home. Perhaps, even, we've gone back in time; I just don't...know..._"

The fox's voice grew hoarser and more desperate, and a pit of despair filled Naruto once more. Another one of his friends was going to die...and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"_Naruto...my time is about to come. Despite what I may have said before, you did it. You cleansed the hatred from my heart. For that, I'll owe you my eternal gratitude. The past few days have been...good, for me. I've felt at peace, because of you."_

Tears streamed down Naruto's face. Kurama, even though they had their differences, was always there for him; always behind the scenes, healing him, saving him, talking to him. With the fox, he couldn't feel alone. But now...

"_This world, this...wherever it is that we are, it is now your reality._"

"C-can't I escape? And go back to my world? To my friends?"

The fox frowned, and that familiar pit of despair hit the blonde when he heard the fox's next words. "_I don't think so...that would not only require...my full power, but the recreation of the Infinite Tsukoyomi and Kakashi's Kamui._"

Naruto understood, now. He was trapped in this world, whatever it is.

"_Wherever you are, Naruto...be happy. But there is something else I must tell...you before I go..._"

The fox began to face and decay even more; the eve of his 'demise' was in progress.

"_Before...the enhanced Kamui took us, I saw what effects the Jubi had on your friends. Not all of them made it out...safely..._"

His tone of voice scared Naruto. "..Who?" He asked reluctantly. He could only take so much grief; he couldn't even imagine any more of his friends being dead.

"_Your two comrades. The Uchiha and the Haruno...I'm so sorry, Naruto..._"

* * *

Naruto gasped for air, as the grief took him. His last words were of apology, but Kurama's news didn't alleviate the pain he now felt.

Sakura and Sasuke were dead. He didn't even say goodbye to them, but they were gone. Forever. And now, so was Kurama.

"Oh, no...no no no..." He whispered, staring at his hands as the tears dripped from his eyes.

Sasuke was his best friend. Even after his betrayal, he was his rival; his comrade, his brother. In the last moments they had together, they had spent as teammates; like the old times. They had fought tooth and nail to save the world.

The Uchiha had said that he couldn't get revenge on the Leaf if the world had ended, but Naruto knew; he could feel the strange contentment Sasuke felt as he fought alongside his former friends once more.

And it was all for nothing.

A sob escaped Naruto's lips when he thought of Sakura. He had had dreams of her demise before; her pale skin glistening in moonlight, splattered in blood. But those were dreams.

They weren't a piece of reality.

She was practically everything to him. Sasuke was his brother, but Sakura...she was Sakura-chan. The love of his life. And she was gone. Never again would he hear her laugh, or inhale the soft scene of vanilla and soap that often came from her, or observe her soft, light pink hair flowing in the breeze.

He felt so much regret. He never got to tell them, either of them, how much they meant to him. His unsolved issues with Sakura would never find resolution; he was now forced to live a life of guilt and wonderment. Did she mean it in the Land of Iron? Why did she truly do it?

"I..want them back..." He choked out to no one in particular.

He would do anything for them. Even trade his own life.

His grief ridden determination settled, he shakily stood up and tried to calm himself. His body soon ceased it's trembling, but the tears kept falling.

They would come back. And they would be happy; they didn't deserve death. _He _was supposed to be the sacrifice. He was supposed to die for them, not the other way around.

He steeled himself, and ran through the now-familiar hand seals. His arm had already healed considerably, thanks to the last burst of the Kyuubi's power.

_Snake, Boar, Ram, Rabbit, Dog, Rat, Bird, Horse, Snake._

He sniffed and clapped his hands together, exerting the normal amount of chakra to summon the Death God. A burst of the energy escaped his hands, and he waited.

And waited.

Nothing happened.

Frowning, his gut clenching in utter despair, he ran through the signs again. And again. And _again_.

He fell to his knees, the grief overwhelming him as he tried to summon the shinigami over and over again.

"Come on! COME ON! DAMNIT, COME ON!" He screamed, before falling forward onto his hands, his last attempt failing once again.

The jutsu wouldn't work.

For the first time in years, Naruto felt truly and utterly alone.

His friends were dead. He was trapped in wherever the hell he was, with no society or civilization in sight. His two most precious people were gone, and he would never see them again.

"_Oh god!_" He screamed, bowing lower so that his forehead rested on the ground. Never had he felt this empty before.

His years of loneliness prior to Team 7 didn't even compare to how he felt now. Sasuke had been right, all those years ago; he may have been lonely before, but the pain of having those bonds then losing them is far worse.

He didn't know how long he had sat there; curled up on his hands and knees, consumed by loss and sorrow. He shed more tears than he ever had in his entire life.

A snap of a branch alerted him, and he looked up wearily. He glanced around the clearing, but saw no one.

A muffled sob wracked his body, and he sniffed loudly.

"Are you okay, friend?" A soft voice asked, and Naruto whirled around.

His teary blue eyes opened in shock when he saw a red haired boy in front of him, who seemed to be around his age.

But that wasn't what shocked him.

He recognized the boy. As Sasori, the puppet-master of the Akatsuki.

Naruto didn't have the strength, or the will, to try to fight the supposedly deceased human puppet, so he merely stared into the dark eyes of Sasori. He wiped the moisture from his face, knowing it was fruitless as more tears would follow, and just shook his head.

Sasori was confused. The boy in front of him looked distinctly familiar, but he couldn't quite place who he was. His headband had the Konoha symbol on it, yet he didn't know why he had the appearance that he had just been to hell and back...nor why he looked so impossibly _despaired_.

The puppet-master was on a simple escort mission given to his group by the Kazekage; he was bringing the daughter of the Kage, Temari, to Konoha on a diplomatic request by the Hokage.

Clearing his throat, the redhead spoke. "Are you lost, friend? Your headband says you're from Konoha. I'm currently on my way there, if you'd like to join me, that is."

Naruto was incredibly confused. When he encountered Sasori, his voice was deeper; gravely and menacing. He was also a psychopathic killer and 'mad-scientist'. This, however, was a kind and seemingly gentle young man who merely wanted to help.

He had the exact same appearance as the Sasori that Sakura had ended up taking out. _Oh god...Sakura-chan..._

Everything reminded him of her. His body trembled with emotion, but he had cried enough. Nothing could change the fact that she was dead, and there was no bringing her back.

"U-uhm, yeah. T-thank you."

Sasori smiled, and walked over to the river with caution, gripping his canteen carefully. It was clear to him that this boy, whoever it was, was in irrevocable grief; he didn't want to alarm or upset him any more.

"So what's your name, friend? I am Sasori of the Red Sand."

The blonde tensed. Sasori still bore the robes of the Akatsuki; a high-collar black cloak, designed with red clouds placed around the material in random order. Despite his kind and calm attitude, he still didn't trust him. Countless errors had taught him that appearances weren't everything.

"I-I'm Arashi. No title or surname." The redhead smiled once more.

"It's nice to meet you, Arashi. Are you...okay?" He asked precariously, not wanting to disturb the blonde.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Just...a little out of it." He said, forcing his sadness away. There would be time for grief later...after he figured everything out about where he was and why Sasori was still alive. And not trying to kill him.

* * *

Naruto had spent a few moments at the river with Sasori, getting a grip of himself. After a quick wash of his face, Naruto was lead by Sasori to a clearing.

The blonde's eyes widened when he saw a distinctly familiar girl leaning against a tree, her arms crossed. A small cigarrette was trapped between her lips, and she puffed lazily on it as she watched the clouds.

"Temari-san, I'm back."

"Ah, Sasori. Who is this?" Temari asked, pushing herself from the tree and eying Naruto. She drew another puff from her cigarrette, then flicked the butt away.

Naruto, once again, was confused. Temari never smoked...and she was okay with being with one of the Akatsuki? _What the hell is going on?_

"This is Arashi, he's a Konoha-nin. I've offered to let him join us on our way to the village, as I believe he is lost."

"Hmm, alright then. Let's get going. I get enough sun over in Suna, and I don't want to stay in this heat all day."

With that, the trio had left off. Sasori and Temari led the front, while Naruto strayed a little behind.

His eyes were locked onto the wind-user. Her appearance was the same; wearing a combination of mesh and body armor, her giant fan strapped to her back effortlessly, her hair tied up into four distinct pony-tails.

But her personality was completely backwards, much like Sasori's. He remembered, every time Temari would join the Konoha 11 on one of their many gatherings, she would constantly give Shikamaru hell for smoking, and being lazy. At first, everyone agreed and gave the Nara their own peace of mind, but gradually the Suna-nin's complaints became common place and something everyone was used to.

"Pst, kid."

Naruto glanced over, and saw that Temari had hung back, walking next to him. Another smoke was tucked into her ear, and she smirked at him.

"Arashi, right? Do you know Shikamaru?"

Naruto nodded. "When we get back, can you deliver a message to him for me? Tell him that his stupid-ass left his boxers and socks at my place the last time he was Suna. Tell him, if he wants them back, he's gonna have to pay big time for leaving so early. I'm telling you, the guy can fuck like no other, but damn is he dumb."

The ex-jinchuuriki almost choked on his own spit. Shikamaru? Dumb?

And since when did he and Temari start hooking up?

Naruto felt the confusion he felt from this strange, familiar yet unfamiliar world proved a big distraction from his losses. But that didn't stop the inevitable thought from crossing his mind.

If Sasori was alive, and both he and Temari were here...

Did that mean Sasuke and Sakura were alive, and in Konoha, as well?

* * *

A/N: So how was it? I figure I'd cut it off there, and see how you guys like it.

More details and stuff will come as the story progresses, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! (Hopefully it wasn't too bad D:)

The only pairings confirmed are Naruto and AU!Sakura, but that won't happen for a long time. There will be confusion, and as evident in this chapter, there will be angst. Also, if you have no idea what RtN is or what it's about, in a nutshell, Naruto and Sakura get sucked into the 'Limited Tsukuyomi', where they become trapped in a world where everything is backwards/wonky compared to the real world. You'll see ;)

Next chapter: Echoes

Please review and tell me what you think! :)

-Swag


	2. Echoes

A/N: So here's the next chapter.

I've decided to take a small break from writing PIL. The motivation just isn't there, and I don't really have it in me to write the next chapter just yet. The break won't be any longer than a month, and in that time I'm going to be brainstorming and working on this fic, a one-shot, and occasionally chapter 20 of PIL (when I feel up to it).

Enjoy! And forgive me if there's any spelling/grammaer mistakes; this is unbetaed, and when I read over my writing I tend to look over those things. I know how bad it is to see those kinds of errors when reading a story; it really takes you out of the plot.

* * *

_**Dark Side of The Moon: Chapter 2 - Echoes**_

* * *

The three shinobi were about a mile or two away from Konoha; the sun was beginning to set, and after hours of walking, the trio was looking forward to rest.

Depression was beginning to take it's toll on Naruto. He just...couldn't believe that Sakura was dead.

He couldn't get her out of his head.

Walking alongside Sasori and Temari, he fought as hard as he could to subdue the heartbreak. He didn't know why any of this was happening...but he chalked it up to this being the product of a mixture of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the Kamui, and a whole lot of chakra.

The thought of it made his head hurt.

A small sigh escaped his lips, and he felt his chest tighten for the umpteenth time since he woke up. He had to just...forget about his grief for a while.

He steeled himself, and just in time; they approached the gates of Konoha.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and slight horror as he took in his village. It was exactly the way it was...before Nagato had attacked it.

He could see the people bustling around on the main road, which also happened to be the market; squinting his eyes, he could see the old, iconic Hokage building, resting all the way underneath the monument.

He subdued a strangled noise of surprise when his eyes traveled up, and he took in the visage of the Hokages. Something was different, and wrong.

So incredibly wrong.

The first, second, and third Hokages were there. But, next to Hiruzen Sarutobi's grim stature, wasn't Minato Namikaze. The Fourth he knew.

Instead, the head depicted a serious looking man, with an impressive handlebar-esque moustache that extended down his sideburns, and diagonally to above his upper lip. The man looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen this 'new' Fourth Hokage.

"You alright, Arashi? You seem troubled." Sasori mumbled to his new blonde companion, following the teen's gaze to the Hokage monument. The redhead didn't know why his whiskered friend looked so horror-stricken by the five heads that symbolized Konoha's finest. Should he not be looking at them in pride and admiration?

He was starting to think he would never understand Arashi.

In a few minutes, they arrived at the gates, and traveled over to the guard station. Naruto furrowed his brows when he saw the familiar faces of Izumo and Kotetsu, not lazing around like they usually do, but stuck in a heated game of shogi.

"Watch out for your king, boss. I'm comin' for you." Kotetsu said, grinning slightly as he made his move. Izumo's jaw dropped when he realized his partner had cornered his king; the game was over.

"Damnit!"

"Haha, that's right! Remember the deal; you have to do a strip-tease at that bachelorette party this weekend."

"Fucker..."

"Ah, Temari-san! You arrived!"

Temari chatted it up with the two guards, while Sasori and Naruto stood in the background. The blonde was beginning to feel nervous; as if he didn't belong in this village. It was Konoha...but it wasn't _his _Konoha.

Kotetsu laughed loudly when he heard how disrespectful Temari was towards the Nara 'outlier', until he caught sight of the whiskered young man standing behind her.

"Menma-san? Is that you? Man, I didn't think you digged blonde."

Naruto wasn't paying attention, until a curious and mildly suspicious Sasori nudged his arm and gestured towards the two guards who were both staring at him with smiles on their faces; scheming and amused smiles.

"W-what?"

"I said, I didn't think you would ever dye your hair blonde, man. What's up with you? And wait...weren't you on a mission with your team?"

Naruto had never been good at lying, or the pressures of being asked questions, so he tensed and began to sweat. They thought he was someone he wasn't.

Izumo and Kotetsu shared a small glance, and the smiles dropped from their faces. "Menma-san, if you would be so kind as to show us your ID. Please."

The blonde gulped, feeling immeasurably stressed by the strict gazes he was getting not only from the two guards, but his companions as well.

Sasori backed slowly away from 'Arashi'. He didn't know he was the heir of the Namikaze clan.

Temari's eyes were narrowed. _This is the Menma Shikamaru talked about? I thought he said he was all hyper and bubbly, but also dark and grim?_

A shaky hand gave a standard shinobi ID card to Kotetsu, who quickly gazed at it. The brunette's eyes widened in shock as he took in the information on the card, and matched it up to the profile of the man standing in front of him. The name that was on the ID ran through his mind, and he now knew something was very off.

Very, very off.

Deciding to not draw any attention, he forced a smile on his face as he handed the card back to the man he now knew as Naruto. "My apologies, Menma-san. You know, protocol and such."

The blonde nearly gawked at the guard. He's letting him go?

"Why don't you hang back a bit? Sasori, Temari-san, go on ahead. I'm sure the others will be happy to see you." Izumo said when he inferred the events that had transpired.

After saying their goodbyes, the two guards stared Naruto down. "I think we should head to the Hokage's office, 'Menma'."

* * *

The trio had arrived after strenuous dodging of Konoha's populace. Kotetsu knocked on the door, and leaned back as he awaited the response.

The two guards were unnerved by what they were seeing. This 'Naruto' was an identical replica of Menma Namikaze...only blonde, and for some reason, depressed.

They had gone through some quick testing to see if he was in a henge, but everything checked through. But, after they dropped him off at the office, they would keep the events to themselves. They were taught not to ask questions, after all.

"Come in." A stern, womanly voice sounded; a voice Naruto knew too well for his own good.

They opened the door, and walked in. "Hokage-sama...we have a slight 'issue' here."

The blonde head of hair that was leaning over a batch of files looked up, revealing a face of beauty and feminity; only, this time, Naruto noted, she was wearing glasses.

The Hokage's hazel eyes took in the sight of the blonde teen. Her gaze narrowed, then flickered to the guards. "Very well. I'm sure I don't need to ask you to keep this to yourselves. Dismissed."

They bowed, and promptly exited the room.

Naruto gulped when Tsunade stood, and strode over to him. He was nervous as hell, and trembling in anxiety...until he saw her chest. And the obvious lack of her enormous breasts that she was so well-known for.

For a split second, his troubles were forgotten, and a small smile spread across his lips. "Baa-chan, you're so...flat!"

A fist slammed into his head. "Normally I don't hit people like that, but you deserved it. Not only for the rude remark...but if you so much as utter a 'baa-chan' in my presence again, I'll kill you. Sit."

Naruto rubbed the swelling bump on his head. He wouldn't admit it, but he kind of missed times like these. It had been too long since he had actually talked to Tsunade...as flat as a board, she may be.

"Who are you?" She asked sternly, her bespectacled eyes boring down on him. His face immediately dropped the smile, and became sad.

"Naruto Uzumaki." He answered, handing her his ID. She accepted this news with a grain of salt, but then she saw his information. The card wasn't a fake; it was genuine.

She didn't know how to react. As far as she knew, Kushina and Minato had only one child...and this wasn't him.

Tsunade prided herself in being a bookworm; her smarts were only outweighed by her medical talent. But something like this...she could never conceive as being real.

"Who are you, _really_? I want to know _everything_."

Naruto sighed, and shifted his chair so he could gaze out of the window to get a view of the Hokage monument. His eyes lingered on all the faces, the main one being the Fourth, before he answered her.

"Naruto Uzumaki, genin of Konoha, student of Kakashi Hatake and Jiraiya the Toad Sannin. My...parents were Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, and I'm the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki."

Tsunade choked on her own air. Everything he had said...was it all true?

She knew he was telling some sort of truth, because no one in the village knew that they harbored a Kyuubi vessel. The head Jounin's very son, Menma, was a jinchuuriki.

His identification was completely genuine; it even had _her_ own signature on the back. She stood up, and walked over to him.

For thirty minutes she went through tests with him; DNA, chakra, Konoha secrets, knowledge of the village. Everything that would verify he was who he said he was.

And he passed all of them.

"I.." She began, but Naruto cut her to the chase.

"I know, Baa-chan. I'm as confused as you are. Everything I said was true...but, in some way, I don't think it is. If I tried to explain exactly who I am, I'm only gonna end up confusing myself, so..."

The Sannin had once read something about alternate dimensions and the concept of absolute opposition, but she always passed it off as fiction. Apparently, she had to reconsider some of the things she thought she knew.

This was, no doubt, Minato and Kushina's son. But...she was starting to think it _wasn't _their son.

"How did you get here? And I don't mean Konoha. I mean _here_." She stressed, gesturing outside. She pushed the glasses up her nose, and the frame magnified her eyes slightly.

And so, he explained; though, thinking about it was much easier than trying to say it.

"I was in a war...the Fourth Shinobi World War. A man named Obito Uchiha...wait, just hear me out," Naruto paused when he saw Tsunade open her mouth to protest. "Anyways, he instigated the war to enact something call the Moon's Eye plan. Pretty much, he wanted to cast a genjutsu on the whole world, and create a reality of dreams. Of peace."

Tsunade gradually absorbed the information, and sat down at her desk. Her hand rubbed her forehead, then she gestured for him to continue.

Nodded, the ex-jinchuuriki spoke again. "I ended up stopping it, but I don't know what happened after. Due to a bunch of random things happening all at once, I somehow woke up here; in this world. Wherever this is, this isn't where I came from. This is Konoha...but it isn't the one I know."

The Sannin sighed, and she couldn't help but believe him. Despite the fact that the deceased Obito Uchiha was somehow the instigator of a Fourth Shinobi World War, it somehow made sense. When dealing with Uchihas, you never know what could happen.

Even though she trusted them, their powers frightened her. They were good people; peace loving and loyal to Konoha, only betraying the village when they are claimed by death. But she had heard the stories; stories of infinite genjutsu, dimension bending, reality warping and techniques that could destroy a whole village in the blink of an eye.

Shaking her head from those thoughts, he reached into her drawer for something. Naruto was expecting her to pull out a bottle of sake, but was surprised when instead, she pulled out a couple of bottles of water.

Taking in his shocked visage, she raised a brow. "What? You think I have a stash of alcohol hidden in my drawer?" She said, handing him a bottle.

"Yes. U-uh, I mean, no, baa-chan." He stammered.

"I said _don't_ call me that. Now, for one reason or another, I believe your story. I have a feeling I might regret that decision, but everything 'checks' out. The problem now is...what to do with you."

"Do with me?" He said incredulously.

"I have half a mind to exile you from the village. I don't need another Menma running around. That brat gives me enough hell as it is."

"Who...is Menma?" Naruto asked reluctantly, his body finally relaxing. He came to the realization that there was going to be no escape from this world. No matter how much he wanted it not to be, this was his new life now.

Tsunade sighed. She could already tell things were going to be difficult, confusing...and troublesome.

"He's you."

Naruto choked on the water he was drinking. Sure...he was coming to the conclusion that many of his friends were in this world, but he never expected _he _was also in there too.

"W-what?"

"Menma Namikaze. Son of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, just like you. Speaking of which, you two are quite similar...though he's a little less _blunt_ with things." Her eyebrow twitched, the annoyance of his lack of modesty towards her...less than average assets, was still evident.

"So...I'm here too. I'm used to shadow clones, so I guess it won't be a huge difference...just an entirely separate, unique and not-me me." He murmured, confusing himself.

"Hmph. Well, anyways, I'm not going to kick you out of the village. You _are _a Konoha shinobi...whoever the hell you are. And I'm guessing I have no choice in the matter, so I'm going to put you on the rosters."

Naruto's face dropped. After everything that had happened..could he really continue being a ninja? Could he live in a village so identical to his home, yet so drastically different at the same time?

This wasn't helping the depression that was beginning to claim him.

"Naruto." Tsunade said, cutting him off. "I'm not going to ask you what's gotten you so depressed. Despite the fact that we just met, I do, in a way, _know _you. But I'm going to be frank with you. We need you on the rosters."

"Why's that?" He asked warily. He had heard that tone of voice in his busty Tsunade before.

She glanced outside the window. "I don't know how it was...in wherever it is you came from, but things haven't been going so well. Tell me, Naruto, what do you know of the Akatsuki?"

She could feel his chakra spike. "In...my home, they were a band of S-Rank criminals tasked with collecting the nine bijuu. They were the ones who started everything...who..." He stopped, pausing to take a breath.

"I see. Well, here; they're the complete antithesis of that, and unlike your home..there's only one bijuu. The Akatsuki is a band of rogue, mercenary peacekeepers. Though there is a Shinobi Alliance in place, whenever there is friction within the politics, the Akatsuki is hired to take care of any...threats or possible hostilities."

His face fell. Though he was slightly intrigued that there was a semblance of world peace, and the Akatsuki were what Nagato had once stated they were supposed to be...the fact that there was only one bijuu meant that getting home was now impossible. Truly impossible.

"Unfortunately, the 'use' of the Akatsuki has caused much turmoil within the Alliance. The group, as it so happens, has some obvious favoritism towards us and Amegakure; it's two most powerful members are from these villages. This kind of affection, as opposed to the neutrality that the Akatsuki should have, has caused rift inside the Alliance. Some of the shinobi villages don't particularly like that we are getting most of the attention...others are frightened of the power we pose."

"We've been setting up for war; just in case there's an attack, or a spy, or whatever, we've increased our activity in missions and obtaining influence. We are a village of peace; but others are not. If what you said is true, and you're the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki, we'll need-"

"Was...the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. Was." He interupted sadly.

Tsunade gave a solemn glance back. Perhaps, a while from now, the boy would come to trust her and tell her the stories he's so clearly holding in.

"Against my better judgement, I'm assigning you to a squad. If you're going to be fighting for us, you're going to need to be familiar...or, rather, refamiliarize yourself with your comrades." She said, before taking out a few folders and shuffling through the papers.

Naruto wanted to protest; wanted to deny her, and leave the village. But his hero complex would always win over his self-doubt and personal desires. Even though Sakura and Sasuke were dead, and he had no bijuu...he still loved his village, and would fight for it with his life.

"Team 7...are you...familiar with it?" Tsunade asked carefully.

Naruto's eyes widened, and his mouth became dry. His heart hammered in his chest. "Y-yeah. Who...who's on _that _Team 7...?" He asked almost reluctantly. Could it be?

Tsunade could tell something was invested in the members of team 7, so she read the names in earnest. "Team 7, led by Jounin Hatake Kakashi, is as follows: Menma Namikaze, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. As a matter of fact, they're on mission right now; due to come home tommorow."

His voice got caught in his throat. Sakura...and Sasuke...were they alive? As in, not dead? Living?

He sniffed, catching the attention of his Hokage. This time, she couldn't find it in herself to ignore his sadness. "What's wrong?"

He wiped the new tears from his eyes. "Nothing...it's just...in my home...those two, Sasuke and Sakura-chan...they didn't exactly make it."

Her mouth opened and closed. Sakura and Sasuke were dead?

The pinkette was like a daughter to her, and even though it was _another _Sakura, the thought still saddened her.

"You'll see them soon enough."

With that, she quickly changed topics. Gradually she found herself fond of the boy; he was like Menma, sure, but in some way, she found him unique and endearing.

Naruto was, somehow, not as overjoyed as he would have been. Sasuke and Sakura were alive, yes...but a scary thought filled his mind.

Were they _his _Sasuke and Sakura?

A frown formed on his face when the Hokage began filling out the forms for his ownership of a new apartment. Everyone he had encountered so far was either a polar opposite or drastically different from the people _he _knew.

He didn't want to fill himself with false hope. Despite as much as he wanted them to be here...they were going to be different. In what way, he couldn't tell.

Thinking about how torturous that would be hurt him deeply. They would be alive, but they wouldn't _be them_.

"Wait...did Sasuke abandon the village?"

The Hokage paused in her signing of documents, and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Why would he do that?"

Before Naruto could answer, there was a loud knocking on the door.

The two blondes met eyes, each thinking the same thing.

"You sure you want to stay here? I'm not sure if it's a good idea if people see you until I give the news out...at least to those who need it." Tsunade whispered over the desk.

Naruto merely shrugged and nodded, and prepared himself. This world was one of surprises; he had no clue who could be visiting.

"Come in." Tsunade called. Naruto was slouch over, leaning his arms on his thighs, and he heard the wooden door open.

"Baa-san!" A heavenly, womanly voice spoke, and Naruto's head shot up.

"Kushina, honey...don't spark the woman's temper..." A calm male voice said, a slight tremor in his tone.

Naruto instantly whirled around, and his heart practically skipped a beat. _Mom...Dad?_

A tall blonde Jounin walked in, his crystal blue eyes flickering from the redhead next to him, to the Hokage, and finally...to the blonde boy standing in front of him.

"Menma? You're back?" Kushina said her face lighting up. "And you finally dyed your hair blonde!"

Naruto felt as if his world had turned upside down. Sure, Sasori was alive...but his parents were, as well?

Minato stared at the boy, his mind calculating. He did, indeed, look like Menma...but something was off. Different about him. Beyond the hair that matched his own.

Tsunade had watched the whole affair with a keen eye. She didn't miss the look of hope and simultaneous despair when Naruto caught sight of his parents. She now inferred that they, too, didn't make it in his world.

"Minato, Kushina...we need to talk."

* * *

"So...you're telling us he's our son, but he's not Menma?"

Tsunade nodded grimly, and Naruto sat awkwardly away from his parents. He didn't know what to think.

They were alive. His mother and father, in the flesh, right in front of his very eyes. He wanted to cry, but he also wanted to retain some form of dignity in front of them. Especially since...well, since he wasn't exactly their son.

Kushina and Minato shared a troubled look, then took in the visage of the blonde Menma-look-alike, whose expression was immeasurably troubled.

"I suppose the easiest way to sum it all up is that yes, he's your son; but from another dimension. A parallel world, as it were. He has no way of going back home, so I've decided to keep him in the village."

"I...I don't know what to say..." Kushina said softly. The boy had her looks, of course; that was the only difference she could discern between him and Menma, besides the hair color. Their black-haired son had inherited Minato's sharp appearance and keen eyes.

His mother's words broke Naruto's heart. He was expecting this, of course. They didn't want him. Even in a world where everything...was seemingly perfect, he was unwanted.

Wiping the fresh tears from his eyes, he bowed. "I'm sorry I wasted your time. Thank you for seeing me, Hokage-sama. I'll find my way out." He spoke in a dead sort of voice, devoid of any positivity. He had felt enough sorrow and despair in the last twenty-four hours than he had in his entire life.

With that, the blonde boy left as fast as he could, seeking solace in whatever place he could find it.

Minato's face was shocked. Even though he had never met the boy in his life, and the fact that he was his son shocked him, he felt a sort of distant connection with him. He could feel it; in the air, in the chakra. That boy _was _his son.

The blonde stood up, determination in his eyes. "I'm going to go find him."

"Minato, wait...what do we do? I'm so confused. I don't know him...but he looked so sad...and I can tell, he's my son..." The red-haired woman said sadly. She didn't mean to hurt him; not at all. She was perturbed. What _do _you say when you find out you have a son you've never met before?

The spiky haired man cupped his wife's cheek, and smiled warmly at her. "Don't worry yourself. Everything will be fine."

* * *

Naruto stood on top of the Fourth Hokage's head, tears falling down his cheeks as he stared at the sunset.

He felt so incredibly home-sick, it was eating away at him inside. He wanted to go to his Konoha; with the angry, big-breasted Tsunade, and Ichiraku ramen, and the Konohamaru corps.

He...wanted to train with Sakura and Sai and Kakashi and Yamato and everyone else who matter.

"Why did this have to happen...?"

He felt so sick of himself. His parents were _alive_. He should be ecstatic right now. Everyone who was dead, seemingly, was healthy and well. He was just being selfish and picky.

But that didn't matter. He didn't belong here. There was already another _him _in Konoha. It was his worst nightmare; being replaced by his friends. He supposed this was the closest thing to it, seeing as how his friends were now gone. Out of reach forever, and now he was stuck in this hellish paradise. Everything he saw was an echo, a mirage, of what it was in his world. He couldn't comprehend or understand this Konoha.

He looked down, past the nose of the statue he was standing on, and stared at the cold, hard concrete that covered the ground below him.

In his depressed, grieving state of mind, the thought of death sounded so pleasing. Sasuke and Sakura were already gone, and he had an inkling suspicion that Kakashi was, as well. Why not reunite Team 7?

He would be able to see them again. Sasuke, his best friend and brother. When they met once more, they would bicker, fight, insult one another, and train with each other.

And Sakura. He would be able to see her again.

The love, the intense, irrevocable _love _he had for her hadn't waned. He felt dead, empty, and cold inside because of how much he missed and desired her.

It was her smile he missed the most. Not the one she used in public around other people, like their friends or her patients; no, the one she reserved for him. When she thought he wasn't looking, or when he said something really nice to her.

The one where her eyes slightly squinted, and glowed with affection; where her lips quirked up slightly into a gentle smile, and her whole expression radiated hidden amusement and happiness.

Closing his eyes, he imagined the joy he would feel once this was all over. Once his hell of a life was finally complete.

His body reacted on it's own, and he gradually leaned forward. His stomach filled with butterflies at the prospect of falling, but that wouldn't stop him.

It felt like forever until he felt gravity being to pull him from the rocky head. Finally, his body began to fall, but it seemed fate had other plans.

A strong arm wrapped around his abdomen, and in a flash, Naruto was pulled away.

He opened his eyes in shock, and whirled around, only to see the serene yet worried gaze of his father.

"Why...did you do that?" Naruto asked desperately.

"You should have just let me die...you don't care about me. I'm not your son. I'm nobody in this world! Why wouldn't you just let me fall!?"

A hand gently grasped the top of his head, and ruffled his hair. Minato grinned, sure of his decision and his feelings on the matter.

"Because you're my son. And I believe that."

For a moment, Naruto felt as though the world had stopped. His father's words seeped into his broken heart, and slowly picked up the pieces.

"I believe your story; for a few years now, I've been hypothesizing the idea of space-time travel and parallel universes. It seems I was right. I can tell, Naruto; you are my child. I want to get to know you."

The younger man's eyes were wide in shock and disbelief. "Are...you serious?"

"Yep. There will be time for us to know each other, and for you to know your mother." Minato replied, grinning even wider.

Naruto relaxed slightly, and his sadness seemed to fade little by little. Perhaps...this world wasn't so bad. Maybe he would finally have a family; he would know peace, and happiness.

Perhaps he could live here.

* * *

A/N: Whew, got this one out fast.

If anyone would like to beta this story/bounce ideas with me, hit me up with a PM. There's a couple of things I'm probably going to need help on.

For example, I have no idea how this whole Minato and Kushina thing is going to end up; seeing as how Menma is playing a large role in this story.

Speaking of Minato; I'll explain why he accepted Naruto as his son so quickly next chapter. Minato was known as a genius; that last part had a little hint towards a future subplot I'm planning to implement.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed!

Next chapter: Team 7


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